KEY CLUB
The esPRESSo
November 2011
Volume 22 Issue 1
The official publication of the Pacific Northwest District of Key Club International
DIRECTING SERVICE THROUGH THE Seasons Service projects, DCON 2012, recruiting, rallies and more!
In review esPRESSo to go Messages
1
Website improvements Major Emphasis
4
March of Dimes
15
Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF Children’s Miracle Network Eliminate Events
7
Portland Area Rally Seattle Rally
11
International Convention 2011
17
7
District Convention 2012 Key Club Week Club Resources
10
Communication Recruiting new members The 411 on dues Communicating with your Lt. G Putting the “fun” in fundraising Leadership
13
Chartering a new Key Club Club Executive positions
8
Running for a position Uniting your club Resources
16
Getting involved with Kiwanis You and your advisor Building community Breaking brain block Spotlight on Division 13/15/17 District Project KCCP Special thanks to: Stephen Nemeth (cover photo) Brenda Nguyen (divisional spotlight) Keisha Engley Felicia Nguyen
18
Samuel Kim Crash Ketcham Issaquah Kiwanis R4 Printing
Editor’s Note Thank you for picking up this issue of The esPRESSo! As your District Editor, I will be producing three more of these magazines, one of which will be online-only. You can read and share The esPRESSo online at www.issuu.com/the_espresso. If you have any suggestions, corrections, or comments in general, I’d love to hear what you have to say! I am always in search of how to make The esPRESSo and your overall Key Club experience more enjoyable for you. If you turn to page 17, you will find a spotlight on division 13/15/17. If you’d like to see your division featured in the next issue, email me a 400-500 word article about why your division is the best along with a few related photos for a chance to be in the spotlight. Also, if you are a photographer, send me your beautiful works of art to publish in the next issue of the esPRESSo! Let’s make The esPRESSo a collaboration of the creative talent in the Pacific Northwest Key Club district. Whether it be about service, Key Club advice, or just life, I hope to hear from you soon. You can find my email address along with the other District Executive and International officers’ contact information on the back cover of this issue. In service and caring, MaryAlice Peng
Annie Lewandowski
messages
International President Hey PNW!! What an exciting time of year! With school just around the corner it is the perfect time to get your friends and classmates excited about Key Club! I cannot wait for this year, I know together we will accomplish so much and reach greater heights in service, not only as individual clubs but as a district as well. It is such an honor to represent the great Pacific Northwest District as our first International President. I plan on working hard over this next year to truly bring the focus of this organization back to the service. This will allow us to build a strong foundation for Key Club to grow upon, expand communication and continue diversifying. Thank you so much for your dedication to this organization and for your commitment to changing the world one service project at a time. In service and caring, Annie Lewandowski International President
Cole Hickman
International Trustee Hello Pacific Northwestern-ers! My name is Cole Hickman and I am proud to serve as your 2011-2012 International Trustee. I live in Los Angeles, California, I have been an avid Key Club member since my freshman year in high school, and now I look forward to working and serving alongside all of you throughout the course of this year. Key Club is all about uniting to serve, and as your International Trustee that is exactly what we (you and I) are going to do. Creating a sister club program that will pair your club up with a club from one of our sister district's is just one way that I'm going to help bring the international level to the club level. Remember, I am not a distant figure. I am here to serve YOU! Please feel free to contact me by whatever means necessary (Facebook, e-mail, text, call), I want to hear from you!! Best of luck with your Key Club year and I'll see you at District and International Conventions! In service and in love, Cole Hickman International Trustee
Varun Awasthi District Governor Hey PNW Key Clubbers! I am truly honored to be serving as your 2011-2012 Pacific Northwest District Governor! These past few months have been absolutely remarkable, from District Convention 2011 (DCON) to various rallies throughout the district and International Convention in Phoenix. I am blessed to have been given this opportunity, and have been amazed at the love for service individuals throughout our district exemplify every single day. Just some background info on me: I am currently a senior at Kentridge High School and this will be my fourth and final year in Key Club. I have previously served as Kentridge Key Club Bulletin Editor, and District Editor. While running for district office was a difficult decision to make, it has honestly been one of the best decisions I have ever made. In my free time I enjoy traveling, playing tennis, reading the news, and salsa dancing (come to my DCON forum)! My goals for this upcoming year are quite simple: unite the Pacific Northwest District and strengthen our bonds with the Kiwanis Family. For our District Project this year, we have partnered with PNW Kiwanis and PNW Circle K with the Kiwanis Children’s Cancer Program (KCCP). This project works in support of fellowships at the three Pacific Northwest Hospitals including Doernbecher Children’s Hospital (Portland, OR), Seattle Children’s Hospital and BC Children’s Hospital (Vancouver, BC). While the main goal of the project is monetary, Key Clubs can still take part with volunteer projects by making trauma dolls, blankets or anything along those lines. PNW Kiwanis is in this project until a cure for cancer is found. If you ever have any questions feel free to contact me or your lieutenant governor. We are here for the service of all of you! I hope you all have an amazing year in Key Club and look forward to meeting many of you at DCON 2012!
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messages
Emerson Kim
Neha Delal
District Secretary
District Treasurer
Hello Key Clubbers of the Pacific Northwest!! My name is Emerson Kim and I will be serving as your District Secretary for the 2011-2012 year. I am currently a junior at Steilacoom High School and I will be starting my third year in Key Club. Last year, I served as a Lt. Governor for Division 35. For the past few months, I have attended International Conventions and various rallies. It has truly been a great and life changing experience! As you start school, be on the lookout for this year’s District Directory. It contains important contact information that can help your club grow stronger. If you do not receive the District Directory, feel free to contact me at emersonkim1221@gmail.com to receive the Directory. Finally, I would like to remind all club secretaries to submit their monthly reports by the 5th of each month. Remember, if you need any help, you can always contact me for help! I wish all of you good luck in the rest of your term!
Hey Key Clubbers! President John F. Kennedy once said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." I am so honored to be the Treasurer this year of the awesomest group of high schoolers in the world--you are the people who epitomize this quote. Today, through your efforts, the Pacific Northwest District is nearly 11,000 strong, already 200 up from DCON just a few months ago; however, with your help I want to see 12,000 of us at DCON next year! Continue recruiting members, planning projects, fundraising, and otherwise keeping this year AMAZING. I can’t wait meet all of you as we rock the Mighty Pacific Northwest!
MaryAlice Peng
Felicia Nguyen
District Bulletin Editor
Convention Chair
Hey PNW Key Clubbers! As your District Bulletin Editor, thank you for reading this issue of the esPRESSo! This magazine serves as the connection between all 500+ clubs in our mighty district of the Pacific Northwest, and I hope you pass it on to your other fellow Key Clubbers. A little about me: I’m currently a junior at Skyline High School and an International Baccalaureate candidate. I’ll be busier than ever, but in my free time, I still love to talk to my friends and other people I meet at Key Club events. I’m interested in all things Disney, music, fashion, Harry Potter, college football— pretty much anything and everything! If you ever want to talk about Key Club or just life in general, you can always hit me up on Facebook, call, or shoot me a text. To club editors: welcome to a new school year, which means a new chance to give your club documents a complete make-over! Feel free to unleash your creativity as you create your newsletters, weekly updates, websites, and more. Join the Facebook group called ―Pacific Northwest Key Club Editors‖ to receive all my updates, resources, and other documents, including the training PowerPoint that I presented at your area rally’s editor forum! I love to see what you guys create, so email me your publications now and then. As always, I’m here to help you. Have fun and stay in touch
Hello PNW Key Clubbers! My name is Felicia Nguyen and I will be serving as your District Convention Chair for this next year. My job is to make DCON 2012 the best it can be for you. Even though the date is months away, the planning is underway. The chosen theme for this year is ―Service on the Big Screen‖. The idea behind this theme is to bring areas of need of service to attention and to put a spotlight on what Key Clubbers do to meet those needs, especially with what PNW Key Clubbers are doing for the Kiwanis Children’s Cancer Program (KCCP). It also gives you the chance to experience a walk down the red carpet and celebrate service with 1,500 like peers, Hollywood style. The District Board is working very hard to put together an amazing and fun-packed weekend for you. We are ecstatic to see you all at DCON 2012, so mark your calendars and save the date, because District Convention will be from March 30- April 1, 2012! In love and service, Felicia Nguyen
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In Caring and in Service, Neha Dalal
Samuel Kim Projects Director Hello Key Clubbers of the Pacific Northwest. It is my honor and privilege to once again serve on the 2011-2012 district board. As a Lieutenant Governor of Division 21 from last year, I hope to carry- on my knowledge of executing successful service projects that will implement itself into this years’ district project, the Kiwanis Children’s Cancer Program (KCCP). This year as your District Project director, my duties entail: working hand-in-hand with Governor Varun on our District Project, assisting Lieutenant Governors with divisional projects geared towards KCCP, and meeting directly with Key Clubbers so that they may fully comprehend what the Kiwanis Children’s Program is. Much of this years’ project is further elaborated in this issue’s article titled ―KCCP,‖ so please refer to everything else in that section. I hope to make this project meaningful to Key Clubbers around the Pacific Northwest and even the world. When I attended this years’ International Convention at Phoenix, Arizona, Governor Varun and I presented KCCP during Service Fair. I was extremely surprised at the numerous, positive reactions I received throughout our presentations. Key Clubbers from Aruba, Utah, Kentucky, Ohio, and much more expressed interest and support for our district project. Make sure that if your Lieutenant Governor has not scheduled a ―District Project Presentation Date,‖ then tell him/ her to do so as soon as possible! I am just a short phone-call/ email away. Feel free to contact me at samkeem@gmail.com. Let’s put in all our effort to make this project a grand success. Good luck Key Clubbers!
Marcus Frates
Website improvements
Communications Director
By Marcus Frates, Communications Director
Hello PNW District! Summer is finally here! There are plenty of service projects to take advantage of during this season and I hope you all are actively looking for new ways to better serve your community! This year I am glad to announce that I will be serving as your 2011-12 Communications Director! My long term duties include reconstructing our District Website and creating a Resource CD for our club members. Monthly duties comprise of tracking Lieutenant Governor performance. Like I said at DCON my door is ALWAYS open so feel free to contact me about anything! If you need any assistance you can find me via email (marcusfrates@gmail.com), phone (206.307.1326.), Skype (marcusfrates), and Facebook. Have fun serving!
As many of you may have noticed the PNW Website has not been functioning at 100% for the past couple of years. As Communications Director it is my duty this year to redesign our website and turn it into a tool for our District to use to communicate with our clubs. So what can you expect? We have currently updated the website with KCCP and a Convention pages up and running. The reason why we want these pages up first is because we want clubs to start planning early for the Convention and coordinate with Kiwanis and their school’s so that they can send as many people as possible this year Additionally the KCCP page will be dedicated to this year’s District project. On this page we will post vital resource such as PowerPoints for club to use to effectively serve our project. Other pages we hope to put up include Governor Updates, Kiwanis info, Membership, Club Creation, Eliminate, Service Partners, etc. If you have any suggestions or questions about the website feel free to contact me at marcusfrates@gmail.com, Thank you!
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Major emphasis Children: Their Future, Our Focus Every Key Club has the authority to select its own service projects because usually, there are many more service needs in a community than there are service clubs and agencies to meet them. However, all Key Clubs are asked to participate in the Major Emphasis: ―Children: Their Future, Our Focus.‖ The Major Emphasis was created in 1946 in order to challenge Key Club members to focus their energies on creating a unified, international impact.
So what does the Major Emphasis emphasize? The Major Emphasis service initiative, the focus of the program, usually changes every two years. Children: Their Future, Our Focus is the current service initiative and aims to serve the children of the world. By coming together under a common purpose, Key Club International and its service partners intend to put forth a united front against childhood illness and other negative impacts on youth worldwide. As Kiwanis International Presidentelect Alan Penn said, ―Children are 19% of our population and 100% of our future.‖
Who are the international service partners, and what do they stand for? Key Club International has forged important partnerships with three other organizations that share similar ideas and goals. These international service partners include UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund), Children’s Miracle Network, and March of Dimes.
What can I do to help? You can work on the hands-on service initiative project Eliminate, a partner project with UNICEF, which seeks to eradicate maternal and neo-natal tetanus (MNT) worldwide. Key Club International intends to support Eliminate until MNT is stamped out completely, which requires about 1.5 million dollars worth of vaccinations. You can also fundraise for our international service partners during specific months of the year. Check out the following pages to learn more about your part in the Major Emphasis! For more service project ideas, check out the
service project directory online! The directory is filled with projects you can do at your meeting, with your Kiwanis club, with just one person or with upwards of ten. Projects are listed as either easy, medium, or hard. Don’t be afraid to take on the more difficult ones! Although those can be the most challenging, they are also often the most rewarding with greater impacts on the community. You can find it by clicking on the service tab, or following this link: http://keyclub.org/ Libraries/Service/ Guide_KeyClub_Service_Directory__Complete.sflb.ashx
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March of Dimes
Children’s Miracle Network
By: Chelsea Likar, AYN Lt.G.
By: Frank Nelson, Lt.G. Div. 48
Every year over 543,000 babies are born prematurely. Not only can premature birth cause serious and life-long health consequences, such as cerebral palsy, hearing, vision, and breathing problems, it can cause death. In fact, it is the number one killer among newborns. It is March of Dimes mission to prevent premature birth, infant mortality, and birth defects. The Foundation spends 75.4 percent of the money raised in March for Babies on programs and research that do just that. Those programs currently focus on treatments to cure vision defects, neural tube defects, and the prevention of oral cleft as well as surfactant and nitric oxide therapies to help support the lungs of many premature babies. Key Club has partnered with The March of Dimes to help raise awareness and money for their foundation. As Key Clubbers we can get involved in many different ways. Some are even as simple as sharing the Petition for Preemies Badge on your social media page or joining their cause, group and/or fan page on Facebook. Others include selling awareness bands at your school which can be ordered online at marchofdimes.com/youth, conducting a promotional fundraiser – the coin boxes can be obtained by contacting your local March of Dimes chapter, or simply by creating a walking team and asking local businesses for donations. Don’t forget that November is Prematurity Awareness Month and Prematurity Awareness Day is November 12. Do your part by joining March of Dimes in their mission to save the lives of babies.
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN) - This is a nonprofit organization that raises funds to help hospitalized children while increasing awareness of its member hospital. State of the art equipment, training a hospital staff, medical research, and outreach programs are just a few of the items money raised from CMN goes towards paying for. There are many ways you and your classmates can also help the network. You can speak to your school administrators and ask them to allow you to delay classes depending on the money you have earned. For example, you can ask for .50 cents per second; then every $30 would give you a minute and $1,800 would equal an hour. Your school could have the power to give itself a day or so off! There are also other things you could and your key club could do to raise money for CMN. You could sell food, have car washes, etc. The possibilities are endless. Decide with your club the best and most fun way to raise funds would be. You could even host a movie night at the school. Charge people five dollars per ticket and play a classic. This would also be a very appropriate time to sell some yummy popcorn or even cotton candy. Make sure to find a movie that everyone will enjoy. My Key Club of R.A. Long High School in Longview WA has raised funds in many ways in the past. We have sold cotton candy, flowers, and we are always keen in advertising for our causes. Every so often we put an article in the local news paper, which is absolutely free for us because we are a youth organization. We also make posters, and we have even had a radio add, also for free. These are just a few ideas of things you could do to help. You could also have your club and school donate things they don’t need any more such as clothes and toys, and have a garage sale where all the profits go to the CMN. You could also go to a TNT meeting before July and request to sell fireworks. The mission of CMN is to improve the health of young infants by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant death. As of the year 2010 the Kiwanis family has raised around 1.8 million dollars for the Children’s Miracle Network and other sponsoring hospitals. Whether you break open your piggy banks, have a car wash, or have a fashion show, the money you and your club donate is a huge help and it brings the world one step closer to improving the lives and health of young children and infants. So please help out today.
Trick-or-treat for UNICEF By: Kirstina Shattuck, Lt.G. Div. 48 Ever wonder what you’re really getting out of Halloween? We all know our parents think it’s a holiday for rotten teeth and nightmares for weeks, but what if we could use this holiday for a world change? We can! America has been doing this for 60 years through the project Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF. This all started at a booth inside Wanamaker’s department store in downtown Philadelphia, where donations were being collected for UNICEF’s powdered-milk programs. When Mary Emma Allison and her children came upon this, after following a parade, and were bound determined to turn that collection into a worldwide non-profit organization. This change in thought would soon bring a wave of relief to those in need. The money for UNICEF can be used for food, medicine, education and anything the world’s youth need to prosper. Children haven taken up the cause across America in leading the Trick-or-Treating to help aid UNICEF, consequently making a small town collection turn into an international campaign for service to our world’s needy youth. After 60 years almost 160 million dollars has been raised thanks to Trick-or-Treat’s drive towards life changing paths, but there is still more to be done. As former President John F. Kennedy said, "UNICEF has caught the imagination of our people—especially our nation's children whose Halloween collections have become a symbol of concern and an expression of tangible aid.‖ Other celebrity supporters include former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, former President Lyndon B. Johnson, Danny Kaye, and Selena Gomez. I urge you to join the cause this fall and help donate to the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF. For more information visit http://youth.unicefusa.org/trickortreat/ and make your mark in the world of service and giving.
I want to save babies. For more information on Key Club International’s service partners, visit: www.keyclub.org/service/fund/osp.aspx www.childrensmiraclenetworkhospitals.org www.youth.unicefusa.org/trickortreat http://www.marchofdimes.com/
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Every year thousands of babies die from this silent killer. What will you do to help? By: MaryAlice Peng, District Bulletin Editor
One week. That is how long a baby infected with tetanus typically survives without treatment, treatment that is too far away and too expensive for villagers to obtain. Tetanus is a disease that comes from clostridium tetani, which has spores that live in soil. When midwives use unsterilized equipment that have come in contact with these spores or use unclean hands to cut a baby’s umbilical cord, the newborn child becomes infected. The bacteria spreads to the nerves around the umbilical cord and carries the toxin to the brain and/or spinal cord, causing severe muscle rigidity, painful convulsions, and extreme sensitivity to light, sound and touch. The mother is forced to watch helplessly as the baby dies because any touch causes her child excruciating pain. In your lifetime, you probably will never have to worry about contracting tetanus. Maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) has already been eradicated in every developed nation because with only $1.80, patients can receive three vaccines that will immunize them against the disease. Once a mother is immunized, all of her future children will also be immunized for the first two months of life. The reason that MNT is so easily preventable is also the same reason why there is a lack of awareness about the thousands of babies and mothers that die from this disease every year— MNT is usually isolated to the poorest areas of the world, the areas that cannot afford the vaccinations and are uneducated about sanitary birthing procedures. It is also non-contagious, so it doesn’t spread to developed regions.
UNICEF and Kiwanis take a stand In 1999, UNICEF began sending its workers to affected countries in order to vaccinate women and children against MNT. UNICEF also trains two midwives from every village on how to deliver a baby safely and provides sterilized instruments to do so. Since then, over 90 million women have been immunized with two or more doses of TT vaccine and more than 20 countries have completely eliminated MNT. Recently, Kiwanis International has joined UNICEF in the fight against maternal and neonatal tetanus. Our goal is to raise $110 million by 2015 in order to immunize 129 million mothers across the world. The end of this one disease means the beginning of better health for so many families. You can join the cause by fundraising in your community, spreading awareness, working with your sponsoring Kiwanis club, participating in Trick-orTreat for UNICEF, and giving online. For more information and to donate, please visit: www.theeliminateproject.org For Key Club’s involvement, please visit: http://keyclub.org/service/TheEliminateProject.aspx
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Portland Area Rally
events
By: Calvin Leung, Lt.G. Div. 66 In June 18, over 100 Key Clubbers and Kiwanians celebrated their year of service at Damascus Christian School for the 2011 Portland Area Rally. There were forums and there were pies; but most of all, everyone had a grand time and plenty of laughs. After District Governor Varun Awasthi called the rally to order, forum 1 was on set; officer training, icebreakers, and an advisors roundtable lasted for forty five minutes. Later, attendees listened to PAR’s guest speaker Michael Recht ,the Head of the Doernbecher Children's Hospital Research Fellowship Program, a project designed to train the next leaders of pediatric oncologists. Because of everyone’s generosity, the guests of PAR were able to raise over $250 for KCCP (Kiwanis Children’s Cancer Program), an organization
founded to find a cure for children’s cancer. The division that raised the most money was Div. 62 with $98.00. The reward? LtG. Giovanni Mckenzie got pied in the face by District Editor MaryAlice Peng! Everyone had something to learn in forum 2 from the art of Zumba to moving your club meetings. Next came the divisional dance competition. One representative at minimum had to bust some moves amidst raucous cheering and jeering. This time the winner, Erika Nguyen from Division 62, got to pie ANYONE in the face; she surprisingly selected LtG. Calvin Leung from Division 66. Sadly, Portland Area Rally had to come to a close– but it concluded with a bang. District Convention Chair Felicia Nguyen gave every-
one a sneak preview of DCON 2012 (a Portland Area Rally times 100,000). Then the PAR spirit stick winner was announced: Division 62. Despite an attendance of 13, they displayed the most enthusiasm, spirit, and ―star power‖ out of everyone in Damascus Christian. Thank you for all the attendees that participated and stay tuned for Portland Area Rally 2012. Remember to continue shooting service to the stars!
Seattle Rally By: Kelly Lock, Lt.G. Div. 26 Seattle Rally is always a day of fun, spirit, and enthusiasm to get ready for the upcoming, Key Club filled school year! It was held at KentMeridian High School in Division 32. The theme this year was ―Peace, Love, and Service.‖ Over 300 Key Clubbers from all over the Seattle area showed up in tie-dye, crazy outfits, and lots of divisional spirit gear. We were even joined by Canadians from Division 13/15/17 and Lieutenant Governors from Oregon! The day started off with the usual long lines at registration, fun icebreakers, and lots of mingling with Key Clubbers from your own division and other divisions. As everyone made their way into
the auditorium, there was an overwhelming really fun forms that included salsa dancing, amount of screaming, lots of loud cheering, and zumba dance workouts, Better 101, and icebreakplenty of ―we got spirit yes we do!‖ Each division ers. And there were also really good, informative was competing to win the ones like Relay for Life disco ball spirit stick. and International ProThere was also a miracle jects. minute that raised hunClosing session was a dreds of dollars! great way to wrap up the After the opening session, day. We had a guest the first round of forums speaker who spoke included officer trainings, about KCCP, a talent Key Club 101, and Kiwanis show that a small handChildren’s Cancer Proful of really talented Key gram (KCCP) workshops. Clubbers were given the Thank you Leilani Zito and Nickolena MilneMost of the workshops had opportunity to showcase Cooper for picking up all the pizzas! hilarious ice breakers filled their talent, and a final with laughter and fun. Lunch came just as all of miracle minute. In both miracle minutes comthe key clubbers started to get hungry. With 100 bined, we were able to raise about $1,500 for pizzas and hundreds of sodas and bags of chips, KCCP! And at the end, Division 32 raised the there was no shortage of food and drinks. Every- most money, and got to pie their Lt.G, James one walked out of the cafeteria full of food. And Eng, in the face. We also got a sneak peak at also, during lunch, many divisions took the opDCON 2012. portunity to pump their division up and do divi- Seattle Rally ended up being an overall success. sional cheers. Everyone had a lot of fun, and we hope to see As lunch started to come to a close, it was time you there next year! for the second round of forums. They were all
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Events
International Convention 2011 By: Levi Lewandowski, Lt.G. Div. 68
June 26th fifty two Key Clubbers and several administrators from the Pacific Northwest left for Phoenix, Arizona to attend the 68th annual International Convention. The group departed in a huge tour bus, and on the 27th made it to Sacramento and explored the Sacramento Old Town. The last stop on the way to Phoenix came the next day, the magical land of Disneyland! June 30th the convention started; everyone was so happy to finally be off the bus and at ICON! The first night consisted of the Meet and Greet, a time to get to know people from all over the country, and even several other countries. The next morning started off with workshops, everything from learning about our main service projects to skills for being a true leader. There was a service fair in the afternoon, followed by caucusing. The PNW had three people running for positions: Annie Lewandowski for International Presi-
dent, Yoo Eun Kim for International Trustee, and Josiah Zitterkob for International Trustee. At the first general session, the new hands -on service intiative was announced: The Eliminate Project to eradicate maternal and neonatal tetanus in partnership with Kiwanis International and UNICEF. The next day was filled with training workshops, House of Delegates, the Final Session where the new International Board was announced, and a cowboy dance to top it all off. The three representatives from PNW delivered great speeches and lots of hard work, and it paid off; all three candidates won the election for their respective positions. An especially large congratulations to Annie, PNW’s first International President! On the tour back home from ICON the district group stopped at the Grand Canyon, a water park in Utah, and many other
Icon 2012 Orlando, Florida Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista Hotel July 4-8, 2011 8
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stops on the long journey home. The tour was a blast and a truly life changing experience for everyone who went, including me. I hope that many of you can attend next year in Orlando, Florida. Start planning for it now!
The PNW District Tour at the Grand Canyon
District Convention 2012 By: Julia Szeto, Lt.G. Div. 64 It seems like DCON 2011 just ended, but DCON 2012 is already quickly approaching! With six months to go, the much anticipated District Convention in March is gearing up for three days of Key Club and divisional spirit. The theme of this year’s DCON will be ―Service on the Big Screen,‖ which brings attention to areas of need and what Key Clubbers have done to meet these needs. Key Clubbers can be sure to expect red carpets and gold stars when they arrive at the Doubletree Hotel in SeaTac, Washington, where the 63rd Annual District Convention will commence with the Meet and Greet and Opening General Session. The first day of convention will be packed with spirit: 1,500 Key Clubbers will represent their divisional colors, mascots, and cheers. The division with the most spirit will be rewarded with the spirit stick to decorate at the end of the convention and another division will be awarded a second spirit stick for overall behavior throughout the convention. For those who have never been to a District Convention, it is the time of year where district positions are retired and a new executive board is appointed. A new District Governor, Secretary, Treasurer, and Bulletin Editor will be elected along with International Candidates during caucusing, which is where Key Clubbers running will visit rooms organized by divisions. Each candidate will say a short two-minute speech, and then the rest of the five minutes will be left open to questioning. The rest of the convention will be filled with officer forums, as well as fun forums such as the legendary Teen Sexuality forum and workshops ranging from dancing to fundraising. Saturday night will end with the Governor’s Banquet, the Talent and Awards Session, and finally, the Governor’s Ball. District Convention 2012 will be like no other – you can expect memories, fun times, and new friends. Mark your calendars, ladies and gentlemen. DCON 2012 from March 30-April 1 will be here before you know it! Check with your lieutenant governor for registration details and dates.
Key Club Week By: Grace Chon, Lt.G. Div. 30 What is Key Club Week? It is a week to show your community the true essence of Key Club. Each day of Key Club Week is focused on a different aspect of service and to promote Key Club within our homes, schools and communities. Key Club week is November 7-11, 2011! Monday is ―show your K in every way‖ which is to spread the word about Key Club wearing Key Club gear and to publicize Key Club. Publicize Key Club around your school, community newspapers, and local stores. Tuesday is ―kudos to the Key players‖. On Tuesday, thank all your Key Club supporters like your teachers and advisors with thank-you notes or doughnuts or coffee or anything else. Wednesday is ―connect the Ks‖. Gather up everyone from the local Kiwanis, Circle K International, Builders, Kiwanis Kids or Aktion clubs to do a joint service project for your community. ―Bring a friend to Key Club‖ is Thursday and the name says it all, bring a friend or two or more to your next Key Club meeting. Friday is the last day of Key Club Week and it is themed ―your way‖. It is the chance to do a project or have a recruitment party! Key Club Week is truly a fun-filled week with so many activities! So be a part of it and spread the Key Club spirit!
Key Club Week Nov. 7-11, 2011 Monday, Nov. 7th Show your K in every way Show everyone what Key Club is all about! Wear your Key Club gear and spread the word through your school, local newspaper, grocery store— let the whole community know that it’s Key Club Week!
Tuesday, Nov. 8th Kudos to the Key Players Personally thank all the supporters of your Key Club, such as your advisor, teachers, sponsoring Kiwanis Club, parents, and other Key Players. Do something nice for them to show your appreciation!
Wednesday, Nov. 9th Connect the Ks Find a way to connect with your Kiwanis Family members— Kiwanis, Aktion Club, CKI, Builder’s Club, and K-Kids.
Thursday, Nov. 10th Bring a Friend to Key Club Introduce someone new to Key Club. More members means more service, which means more fun!
Friday, Nov. 11th Your Way This is your club’s chance to shine: do something unique for Key Club Week and make your mark on the world!
Celebrate service! NOVEMBER | THE ESPRESSO
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Club resources Communication The age of the internet is upon us By: Kericho Corry, Lt.G Div. 19/36
Communication is essential for club development. Take advantage of social media outlets to the best of your ability.
Email is basically the best way to communicate because it is the most universal means of contact. Furthermore, emails provide a direct link between the student body and the advisors and the district. Emails addresses allow you to be more professional in your endeavors within your division. One recommended email program is gmail.com because it allows you to organize the content of your email account in tabs and manage your contacts through the utilization ad creation of groups. For the clubs to best communicate with the other levels o key club international, it is always advised to the greatest extent that an email account for the whole club be created and maintained. This way anything that your Lieutenant Governor and/or public entities send to you, can be easily spread to every member in the club efficiently. Other means of communication that can be looked to are social media outlets such as Facebook and Tumblr. Easily, besides email accounts, social media is the largest supportive communication network for teenagers to use. Teenagers are the basis of Key Clubs and if you want to successfully contact them again and again, it is always best to use these networks. Finally your communication efforts can also be supported by the use of club
websites. Through club
websites anyone can learn all of what your division or clubs are doing currently without being a key club member. This is especially useful for future prospects that might be looking into joining key club and their everlasting effort of performing community service.
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Recruiting new members By: Kaileen Dougherty, Lt.G Div. 28 How many times have you gone to one of your club meetings, only to be in a room with less than ten other Key Clubbers? Did you know that some clubs have over 200 members at every meeting? Whether you’re a club officer, advisor, or simply an active member, the ball is now in your court to use the following advice and spread the word about Key Club. FOOD Perhaps one of the easiest ways to attract prospective members to your club meetings is with the bribe of food. Everyone loves food, especially when it is free. So have members trade off weeks of providing baked goods for your club. FACEBOOK These days, even parents and grandparents, for that matter, have an account on this social media website. Offer an incentive for all your members to post their status as the link to your club’s Facebook page. Reveal a special recognition or prize for the person with the most likes on their status change or for the person who updates their status with your website/Facebook group the most times during the hour. FLYERS Remind your club Bulletin Editor to produce a flashy page of information about Key Club, the day andtime your club meets, and contact information if readers have questions. Be sure to incorporate bold fonts that catch the eye and consider printing them on neon colored paper. Post them everywhere you are permitted—from the main entrance of your school to the restroom stalls. SCHOOL Your school is a family of networking programs. Talk to your school journalism teacher or newscast production team about placing an ad about joining Key Club into their weekly announcements. Try asking your office ladies if you can make an intercom announcement after school the day before your club meets. All in all… get the word out there! FRESHMEN Now, upperclassmen may have always looked down upon these younger kiddos, but take advantage of their yearning to get involved at your school! Set up a booth at your back-to-school club fair, catch graduating 8th graders and their parents who are anxious about high school, or visit your local builders clubs, too! There are hundreds of other ways to recruit new members. Most of all… spread the word! The more people who know about Key Club, the more students will tell their friends, and soon enough, you will have new members joining in groups. Promote the service, and make a difference in your home, school, and community!
Kiwanis Children’s Cancer Program Raise awareness. Support research. Fund fellowships. Help find the cure.
The 411 on dues The frustrating process of collecting and paying dues unraveled By: Connie Kim, Div. 27 As the new Key Club year comes around, it is time to pay dues to our organization. Paying dues is a really tedious task for your club’s treasurer and it is extremely important that they are trained by their lieutenant governor on how to handle this procedure. With the help of this article and guidance from your lieutenant governor, tackling this process should be a piece of cake!
Paying dues, step-by-step To begin updating your club's roster and generating a membership invoice, visit www.keyclub.org and click on the link marked
from the time the International
Office receives the payment for your club to receive the pins/cards/handbooks for the new members. Only new members will receive these ―Membership Update Center‖ located near the items. bottom of the page. So that’s it! You have now successfully become a wonderful Key Clubber. You have an all ac1) Log in using the instructions on the first cess pass to being involved in your local comscreen. munities and touching the lives of others. Pay2) After logging in, follow the instructions on ing dues is the first step every Key Clubber each screen. Begin by updating the club advimust take in order to access the wonderful sor information. Next, delete any former memWhat are we paying for? resources provided by Key Club International bers from the roster. Then, update the inforand also in order to attend District Conven Keynoter Magazine: 31.51% mation for existing members, and finally, add tion and International Convention. Literature and General Mailings: new members. It is important to take adequate time to ensure each step is completed properly. 20.96% Deadlines 3) After all the membership information is Membership forms, cards, stacompleted, generate an invoice. The invoices Paying dues early can be beneficial for your tionary, copying: 18.65% will be produced in a format that can be easily own club and division! Having your entire printed (no other software will be required). division pay dues early can earn you an extra International Training Conferribbon and priority seating at District Convenences: 12.75% 4) As the final step, click on the highlighted tion! Dues can start being paid October 1st. Convention Planning, Promotion link in the center of the invoice that reads For an early bird ribbon, dues must be paid by “After Printing, you must click here to finish the Site Selections: 5.63% November 1st. Final dues are due by December process.” This should be followed by the ques1st and early bird applications for District Con Alumni Development: 4.45% tion: “Did you successfully print your invoice?” If vention are due December 15th. YES, then you get the message KC Weekend, Major Emphasis “You have successfully generated an invoice.” This This concludes a lesson on collecting dues for Program: 4.15% your wonderful Key Club year to come. I urge is the step that loads all member and advisor Club and District Awards, Schol- information to the membership database. you all to follow the PNW motto and get your dues in early! The benefits that come with it arship Programs, YOF: 1.86% If NO, then it takes you back to step 1. should convince you enough. Early is on time. Staff Assistance: 0.04% 5) Provide payment according to directions on On time is late and late is never. the Web site. Mail check or money order (do not send cash) to the address shown on the invoice include a copy of the invoice. Do not Club account information mail a copy of the roster with this payment. In the beginning of the school year, your school should receive a unique username and OR Pay using credit card or PayPal following the password for an account where you can pay Questions? instructions on the Website. Do not mail a dues. Please do not discard this information. With copy of the roster to the International Office. If you have any troubles with paying your dues this information, your treasurer will be able to or would like tips on how to ensure that your access an account on keyclub.org. If you lose members pay them, please contact your lieuyour password, contact your District Governor After generating and printing an invoice, the tenant governor or: Varun Awasthi or District Administrator John invoice page is reset at zero so that new members can be added throughout the year. Follow Jay. Please do not contact the International District Treasurer Neha Delal the same steps to enter new members or adjust Office about lost log-in details! You may also pnwneha@gmail.com members’ addresses. Any time your club recall your District Treasurer Neha Dalal for cruits new members throughout the year; you 503.475.2612 your password. There is also a link on should submit their names and contact inforwww.keyclub.org that will allow you to request your password to be sent to your school again. mation on the Membership Update Center, generate an invoice, and mail the payment to Key Club International. Please allow 4-6 weeks
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Communicating with your Lieutenant Governor By: Wyatt Fisher, Lt.G of Div. 35 The first, perhaps most important, step in communicating with your Lieutenant Governor is to know who they are. If you don’t know your Lt. Governor’s name, there’s no way you’ll ever get in contact with them. If you’re not sure who they are, ask around to other Key Clubbers (especially officers in your division), other District Board members, or the previous Lt. Governor. Once you’ve figured out who your Lt. Governor is, the next step is to get in contact with them. This can often be the most difficult step in actually communicating with your Lt. Governor. It’s always best to try emailing them first, but we all know how cluttered our inboxes can get. So if you don’t get a reply, or if you need a fast response, your next best bet is to try texting or calling them! Perhaps one of your biggest assets in getting in contact with your Lt. Governor is social media. Most, if not all, Lt. Governors have a Facebook and many check theirs regularly. If you want to be sure they see what you
A group of lieutenant governors at DCON 2011
have to say, shoot them a message or post on their wall! Twitter can also be a valuable communicator if your Lt. Governor has one. Warning: do not post any sensitive information on social media sites since everyone can see it; be sure to use only private mediums. One thing to note is that while Lt. Governors are students just like you, when
working as Lt. Governor, they are in a professional environment. As such, please speak to them in an at least semi-professional manner. An appropriate beginning to an email would be ―Hello John Doe‖ or ―Hey LtG John‖. An inappropriate beginning would be ―AyE wAsSuP dOod‖. There are times when your Lt. Governor will be a vital resource to your club’s survival. If your treasurer can’t seem too figure out the membership update website, ask your Lt. Governor. If you’re not sure how to contribute to March of Dimes, ask your Lt. Governor. If you’re not sure what exactly KCCP is all about, ask your Lt. Governor. And possibly one of the most common of all, if the DCON registration materials are confusing you, ask your Lt. Governor. Remember, Lt. Governors LIKE to hear from their divisions, so don’t be afraid to communicate with them!
Putting the “fun” in fundraising By: Bri Mostoller, Lt.G Div. 54 Any seasoned Key Clubber knows that fundraising is an essential part of club activities. Unfortunately, selling 50 boxes of chocolates between classes or hot chocolate in July can be a bit of a drag. Here are some tips to help your club make the most out of your club’s projects: Evaluate your assets: Is there an artist in your club? Do you have a strong connection with a local sports team or music venue? Advantages like these can seriously increase your impact. Considering the interests and talents of your club members can boost participation and make members feel like they’re really contributing to the cause. Keep it simple: Even though a massive production might sound like a good idea, remember that your goal is always to maximize earnings. Keep your capital investment to a minimum so you don’t have to worry about breaking even and make sure every participant has a clear idea of their role in the project. 12
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Stay away from salesmanship: One of the top reasons why some Key Clubbers object to fundraisers is that they don’t like to sell things. Instead of selling products, consider hosting events like talent shows, block parties, and pregame tailgates. Pay attention to pop culture: Take advantage of movie releases, reality TV, and other cultural icons to maximize hype and publicity. Nothing gets kids’ attention like a pre-release party or a night of Jersey Shore skits. Be original: While tried-and-true classics like bake sales and car washes are pretty easy to pull off, it can be hard to get both your club and its supporters excited about the same old thing. Originality also decreases competition between other clubs – it’s hard to make money when every other area club is doing a car wash on the same day. If you keep these tips in mind, your club is sure to have a fundraiser!
A Wenatchee High School Key Clubber plays the cello to fundraise for KCCP Seattle Children’s Hospital at the Wenatchee Valley’s Farmer’s Market
leadership
Chartering a Key Club
How to start a new club from scratch By: Brenda Nguyen, Lt.G. Div. 13/15/17 The most demanding and stressful time for new Key Clubs is the chartering process. However, if you are able to remember six easy key steps, the chartering process will become much smoother and simpler for everyone. Finding a new home Like anything else in life, you must start with the basics. The most important thing that you must take the time to consider is finding a good location to start a Key Club. What defines a location as being good? Well, the only characteristic that it needs to be considered good is, it must be easy for prospective members to find. This place does not necessarily have to be a high school; it could also be a community centre or another general location where a lot of teenagers like to be around. But of course the easiest location to start is at a local high school, due to the fact that teenagers usually spend about 70% of their week there. So now what? What do you do once you have found a place to start? Well, here comes your Kiwanis Clubs. Getting some K-Family love Usually the area that your little Key Club is sprouting in already has a parent Kiwanis Club watching over it. All you have to do is discover which Kiwanis club it is and see if they are interested in acting as a sponsor for your little sprout. This may require you to plan a meeting with the local Kiwanis President and or other key officers such as the Kiwanis LTG or the Key Club Area Administrator. In most cases, the Kiwanis Club will be more than happy to help fuel the energy that Key Clubbers provide in their communities, but that does not necessarily mean that they will be able to fully financially support their young ones’ quests. And although a Kiwanis Club sponsorship isn’t a requirement from Key Club International to start a club, it’s always better to have someone there to help steer your club into the right direction by offering both financial support and hands-on guidance! But once you laid the groundwork for your club, what’s next? Involving your school Key step number three, involving your school! This may get a little tricky depending on the type of school environment that you are in, but the first place to always start is at the office. Meet with the school’s principal and talk to them! Discuss the possibilities of starting a Key Club, explain to them what it is, why it’s unique, and most importantly, what it means to you. Perhaps even bring along the sponsoring Kiwanis Club’s President to help you in your endeavours to get the message across properly. Once you are able to get the head of your school involved, then it’s time to find a
faculty advisor. In some cases the principal will appoint a teacher to be in charge of the club; however there are times where you will be able to suggest a teacher. Once you set your site and sponsors, it’s time to get the name of Key Club out there. Advertising to your communities Advertising may be a difficult thing, but with the right amount of preparation and planning, it can become very beneficial with a lot of fun in the process. But remember that before it’s time to fill in the documents, you must fulfill the requirements of Key Club International’s chartering process. Remember to continue to meet with the advisors, both school and Kiwanis, and talk them through about what you are doing, keeping them interested and involved. Then find a few key people in your community who are passionate about service and have them help you create the club by promote the name of Key Club in the area. Once you have gathered enough members (remember that the minimum is 15), then you are able to start organizing the club. Organizing the club Once you have all the key people you need, then you are able to organize the club. Adopting by-laws and electing officers are just as important as recruiting the 15 required members for official chartering. Once you have everything settled and have finished filing in the correct documents, you are finally able to charter the club. It may take a while for Key Club International to process the charter, but once the charter has been received and processed, then you are officially chartered! Celebrating your success It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to be able to charter a club, so congratulate yourselves! Gather all of the people who have helped you along in your journey for charter status and celebrate through a Charter Presentation of pins, certificates, and fun. Well those are the six key steps that will hopefully make your journey on getting chartered almost trouble-free! Remember that even though the times may get tough, always have fun and enjoy what you are doing. If you ever need more help, you can check out this website here: www.kiwanisone.org/Pages/Resources/ default.aspx?PageID=375. Good luck! Key Club meetings and events from across the district. The more clubs the merrier!
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leadership Making your meetings move
Club executive positions
By: SunSun Gan, Lt.G. Div. 74
By: Jun Park, Lt.G. Div. 33
To have members keep coming to your meetings, you need to make them fun and successful. The first 3-5 minutes of the meeting are very important; you want to get their attention and to get them to have a mind set of ―This is a fun meeting!‖ in order keep them coming. It’s a like movie trailer: if the movie trailer is entertaining and catches your attention, you’ll most likely go watch the movie. Within the 3-5 minutes, you need to entertain them with fun and spirited icebreakers! For some games, go to Youtube to find some Minute to Win It videos and show them to your club and play! Some Minute to Win It games include Yank Me, Penny Hose, Dizzy Mummy, Egg Roll, Office Tennis, Ping Tac Toe, Oh Nuts, and more. While having fun, make sure you guys are also doing mini projects and staying on task in the meetings in order to have a successful meeting. Create a weekly agenda to keep you on track. Breaking the meeting up in half! Halfway through your agenda, you should take a quick break. During this time you can do a simple icebreaker to allow the new members to interact with the old ones. You can also teach or re-teach members cheers to prep for DCON. The goal of icebreakers and cheers is to keep your members interested and entertained. Some simple icebreakers include: Human Knot, Ride that Pony, Hugest, Jigallo, Secret Greeters, and much more. Key Club meetings are focused around service, but it should also be enjoyable and interesting at the same time. The possibilities are endless so get creative and make your meetings fun for everyone!
Presidents
Dcon 2011 Service on the Big Screen
You are the servant of the group. Keep in mind that you are serving your club, and nothing else, especially yourself. Run your meetings with a smile on your face, visit your Kiwanians with a smile on your face, and never let your day ruin it for everyone else. Be confident when you speak, and delegate tasks accordingly. There are so many outstanding Key Club Presidents, but almost many that fail to realize that you should never use your position as a figure of authority. There are many clubs who have Presidents that look good on paper, but fail to deliver their promises. So keep your word, meet your deadlines, cooperate with your club, never blame and never guilt anyone other than yourself. But have yourself some laughs because you are in for a great ride! Vice-Presidents You are the superglue of the group. You are the strong bond that holds it together, and it is your job to make sure that everything is all fixed. So be a likable and personable character! Make sure that you gain experience in every aspect of Key Club, from taking minutes to leading meetings, or running fundraisers to making posters. And most of all, volunteer! As a former VicePresident, I would have so much time on my hands because my officers were so great, and so I decided to lead projects day in and day out! Be certain that you know each and every member on a personal level because you are hopefully going to be a great candidate for the role of President! Secretaries You are, or should be, the neat freaks of the group. Taking minutes is probably the most important part of your job, and doing that takes time and effort. Do not, I repeat, do not under any circumstances, fail to take minutes. It is why you are there as an officer. They should be neat and clean without any useless information, so please review, revise, and renew! Your job is very important in keeping the flow of the club smooth and running, so please take your jobs seriously and never forget that you need to keep an account of all of your minutes, so make a Key Club folder on your USB! Treasurers You are the accountable ones of the group, pun intended. Your job is to make sure that your club can actually be a club by paying your dues on time. As soon as school starts, gather 15 members to pay dues in order to file for Early Bird (Nov. 1st). Other than that, you have free reign on what you choose to do as treasurers, such as starting fundraisers, which will be a huge part of your time. When it comes to fundraisers, do something quick and easy with not a lot of investment required; it is better to earn an easy $100 selling chocolate than it is to slave over trying to sell expensive accessories! Bulletin Editors
See you on the red carpet Mar. 30 — Apr. 1, 2011 Read more pg. 9 14
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You are the creative one of the group. Your job is to commit yourself to the communications of the club to the school and to the community. You have a variety of resources in the Resources CD, which every bulletin editor should get in the habit of using to complete your monthly newsletters! You should be in charge of creating Facebook Groups for your Key Club, maintaining a website, and/or bringing more publication to the accomplishments and efforts of your club. My greatest advice for you would be to make your newsletters short and sweet and with LOTS of pictures! Most readers will not have enough interest to finish reading your artwork if you don’t add in some flavor.
Running for a position By: Nickolena Milne-Cooper, Lt.G Div. 34 You are an actively involved member of your school’s Key Club and you really love it, but you want to take your role to the next level. You want to run for an officer position, or maybe even a district board position. If you are committed and truly love service and being involved, I would say with no doubt to go for it. Whether you think you will win the election or not, it is well worth the shot because in the end you will gain the reward of experience either way. Whether you want to run for a club level position or a district board position, it is imperative you prepare yourself. Preparing can include a multitude of things from talking to others who have help the position you are running for before, or preparing a speech for the election, but most importantly, you must be sure you have the time to devote to the position. A good way to make sure you have the time for another activity, or a greater roll in a club it to make a list and evaluate the importance of other activities you are involved in and making sure you are ready to take on a bigger responsibility. A big part of being prepared is being ready to possibly give up, or devote less time to other activities and more time to Key Club. I know personally, when I decided to run for the position of Lt. Governor I chose to limit myself to Key Club and one other club. That way I could be sure to fully devote myself to both clubs equally while still being able to maintain my grades and schoolwork. Your grades and schoolwork are another important factor to take into consideration when running for a position. It should be your number one priority to maintain your grades above all other clubs and activities, and if you cannot, or are currently struggling then I would advise against taking on any more responsibilities, activities or leadership roles. But if you have well maintained grades and a balanced schedule, and you want to run for a higher position of leadership in your club or district board, go for it! I can honestly say that choosing to run for Lt. Governor was one of the best decisions I ever made. My role as Lt. G has allowed me so many more great opportunities and learning experiences that I never would have been given other wise, such as meeting new friends from all over the state and beyond, developing stronger leadership skills, and business skills that will help me later in life. So if you are thinking of running for a position in Key Club be sure you love what you are going to do, evaluate your other responsibilities and make sure you will be able to keep up your grades and still devote equal time to your other activities, and finally go for it!
Uniting your club By: Leilani Zito, Lt.G Div. 22/24
Have you ever wanted to call on a member in your club whose hand is raised but you just can't remember their name? If so, this means your club is in need of being united! Imagine how much more stronger your club could be just by building a relationship in between the hours of service! A closer club could mean more outgoing events or even make club meetings a little bit more on the personal level. Either way can create an everlasting bond in your club! Summer may be over, but the warmer weather may not be! Of course at any Key Club event, fun is always included, but why not add a little bit more? Having a beach barbeque then setting up a beach cleanup right after is a great way to connect with your club and serve your community at the same time! Also, a simple last minute change to an event that could unite your club could be to add a theme! Dressing up for Halloween never gets old so next time add some fun and shake a hand with some one new that wouldn't care to dress as a Salt and Pepper shaker with you at the next community service event. Whether you have club meetings weekly or monthly it is still very important that each club member feels welcomed at each one! What's the easiest way to do that you wonder? Doing an Icebreaker! Either we love them or we hate them, but I'm sure most can agree that they are an easy way to remember names and express peoples personality. Icebreakers, they break the ice! Key Club brings many great memories to Key Clubbers’ lives. And great memories should always include great friends, so learn to unite your club! "Reunited, and it feels so good!"
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resources Getting involved with Kiwanis
You and your advisor
By: Miquelle Radich, Lt.G. Div. 50
By: Keisha Engley, Lt.G. Div. 50
As Key Club members dedicated to community service, need is our motivation and kindness, in any form, is our inspiration. For me, this means that what drive me most are my fellow Key Club members—seeing their own accomplishments and sincere passion for service. After every Key Club board meeting—each filled with the most Key Club-crazed enthusiasts you will find—I come home anxious to dive into new matter within my division and home club. However, it is not the Key Clubbers alone that have this affect on me, but their older and more experienced counterparts as well: the Kiwanis members. If anyone knows how to take the impossible and accomplish it, it is one of these caring leaders in service. In fact, a Kiwanis member will take the unachievable, achieve it, and do so without breaking a sweat. Every member is an always-reliable resource monetarily and with transportation, but that is not all that they are good for (although they are definitely very, very good for it!). Kiwanis members are also, and most importantly, great all-around supporters of Key Clubbers; so much so that they can be called nothing less than friends. Simply put, they care enough to actually want to be there for you; and they have enough experience in the field of service to be able to foresee problems and help you out of any small fixes. For instance, when I am having trouble contacting someone, I ask my Kiwanis Adviser for help; when I am considering a new Key Club project, I ask my Kiwanis Adviser for help. When I’m having a problem with something, he’s there; and when something goes well, there’s no one who can appreciate it as much as my Kiwanis Adviser. The only trouble you could ever have with any Kiwanis member is finding a way to adequately thank them for all they do. While we can never really repay the kindness that they show us, a simple thank you note can go a long way. Make sure they know that you’re grateful for all of their help, and their help and companionship will surely never fail you. Not too long ago, my own Kiwanis Area Administrator was nice enough to drive me to one of my division’s clubs for a visitation. During the almost hour-long drive, we spoke of our clubs’ successes and things that we had yet to overcome. I was surprised to see that he, as president of the Kiwanis Club in our town, experienced many of the same problems that I had within my own clubs. It is for this reason, I have realized, that Kiwanis members can help us as much as they do—that the K-Family is not merely a collection of people with similar missions, but a real family, lacking only the blood to make the relation legal.
In every individual’s life, one will come across a person that they do not get along with or have trouble agreeing on certain things, but every single person should do one’s very best to get along. It is wasted happiness to be upset and angry towards a person who one might disagree with. Now, in Key Club, sometimes high school students have to deal with some pretty difficult advisors whom they may not get along with. However, your Key Club advisor is imperative to the success of your club, so developing a working relationship with him or her is extremely important. It is best to be calm when having problems with a Key Club advisor. Never have ―attitude‖ when talking to someone of older age or status. Most Key Club advisors are teachers, so they are more stubborn if you seem to have an attitude when trying to talk to them. Always, always, always be respectful and do your best to understand their perspective on the situation. If you are respectful and calm when explaining your input, then they will be more likely to listen and be open-minded. Now, if things just are not working with your Key Club advisor, talk to your Kiwanis advisor. They are pretty helpful when it comes to difficult matters. Also, you could suggest a co-advisor. That way, you will not upset your Key Club advisor, but you would be able to get any unsolved matters taken care of. Be kind, be courteous, be respectful, be open-minded, and be helpful. Also, remember to thank your advisor every now and then for all the hard work she or he does—Key Club Week’s Key Player day is the perfect time to do this, and a little appreciation can go a long way. If you follow these tips, you and your advisor will get along great!
Issaquah Key Club and Kiwanis join forces to collect and recycle Christmas trees 16
THE ESPRESSO | NOVEMBER
Building community By: Wadsana Xinavong, Lt.G. Div. 21 ―I pledge, on my honor to uphold the objects of Key Club International; to build my home, school, and community; to serve my nation and God. And to combat all forces which tend to undermine these institutions.‖ Sound familiar? I thought so. Building your community couldn’t get any easier! Here are some tips to help you start building! Start with a strong foundation: 1. The Internet works wonders - Know your community, and encourage everyone to get involved! - Search local businesses and be able to know where every business stands. - Contact members of your community via email, or try to find them on Facebook, Twitter, or any other media networks! 2. There’s nothing like talking face to face. - Walk into your local drugstore and let them know about an event your club is having, ask them to be a part of it! 3. You can’t do this alone, call up your best friends! - You’ve heard the saying: the more, the merrier, right? - Never go out alone! You’re always safer with a friend or two... or twenty! Building your community is just like building your home or school. It takes time, patience, and dedication. Don’t be shy, go out there and start talking! With everyone focusing on a single goal, there is no limit to what can be achieved! And remember, communication is key to building your community!
Breaking brain block If you can’t read the title of this article aloud three times fast, then read on. By: Christian Menendez, Lt.G. Div. 9 Alright everyone, I’m hoping this article will have some great insights on how to conquer that summer brain block, because I’m being affected by it as well, so I’m using currently using some of the techniques mentioned here to write this article. It may be closer to winter than to summer, but you can use these tips to help you get back into school after a particularly fun weekend or the holiday breaks, which are just around the corner. Let’s start out with a short narrative first. I work at the city pool, and one day a lady came in and wanted to know how much it would cost for her and 7 kids to enter the pool. I couldn’t ring the price up on the cash register since she wasn’t actually ready to pay yet, so I had to do the math in my head. I managed to calculate the sum in a relatively short amount of time, but after I was done, I realized that was the most difficult mental exercise I’ve done in quite a while. Therein lies the root cause of summer brain block: a simple lack of mental activity. That leads me to my first point. In order to recover from the summer brain block, you need to strain your brain by performing some mental acrobatics. Just something to bring the muscle in your skull back up to par. Starting the books you were supposed to read over the summer for your Literature class, for example! Maybe try some crosswords or Sudoku, but watching television (or the finale of the Harry Potter series) doesn’t count, as much as we would like it to. Next, don’t try to do a large, brain-straining task without taking a break. This isn’t just a tip for recovering from summer, but a good tip to follow whenever you are faced with a serious assignment. Think of your large undertaking as a rigorous hiking trip: you don’t take the whole adventure in one stretch, you need to take breaks and rest every once in a while! So get up and get a snack or something to drink, or go outside for a brisk walk. Finally, you got to keep your head up! Don’t let pessimistic thoughts deter you from accomplishing your task, no matter how difficult it may seem at the time. Always try to keep an optimistic attitude about things, and know that life will go on if you miss a deadline by 2 minutes. My motto is, ―Always try your hardest, and never give up. Nobody can ask anymore of you than that.‖
Integrating technology into Key Club By: Srinidhi Viswanathan, Lt.G. Div. 65 Let’s face it. We live in the age of technology, where we resort to Google and Facebook for all our answers. But we can capitalize on these forms of technology to maintain Key Club relations—especially since many of us may not see our fellow Key Clubbers everyday. Read on to learn ways in which you can improve your club, and become an even better Key Clubber! Club Website: Implementing a club website is a fantastic way to lend some authority to your club, and keep members updated on upcoming projects. This past year, I created our key club’s first website, and regularly updated it with projects, photos, and upcoming events. Club members registered on the website (it’s a good idea to start one in the beginning of the school year), and it was easy for me to send out mass emails about any changes in meetings or events. There are plenty of sites out there that allow you to create your own website for free (I personally used www.webs.com). Facebook Group: Facebook groups are also another great way to promote Key Club and get people excited for projects. When emailing and texting aren’t enough, Facebook is the next best option. Since pretty much everyone has a Facebook, just create a group for your school’s club/committee. (I have a group for my division) It can be a great way to share information about programs, and people can get answers to their questions by posting on the group wall. Give it a try! PowerPoint Presentations: PowerPoint presentations are essential for a smooth Key Club meeting. Considering how easy they are to convey information, it’s surprising that more clubs don’t use them. They not only look professional, but they can save you from having to print out agendas for everyone in the club. Give these suggestions a try, and I promise that you will bond even more with your fellow Key Clubbers!
Spotlight on Division 13/15/17 with Lt.G Brenda Nguyen Division 13/15/17, being one of the only two Canadian divisions in the district, is steadily expanding. We have chartered a new club in our division, Sir Winston Churchill, and we are working to charter three more schools. Our division has grown from two clubs of about eighty members to three clubs with over three hundred members in total, and still expanding! From DCON and throughout the summer our division is keeping active by volunteering in city-wide events as well as creating our own service projects for World Vision and Vancouver Veterans. Our upcoming service project is a Car Wash for Kiwanis Children Cancer Program, the Governor’s Project for the year 2011-2012. We had just had our July Divisional Council Meeting on July 9, 2011 where we talked about Key Club International Convention as well as create colour-
ing books for the children in BC Children’s Hospital. At DCON 2011, we were the only Canadian division that attended. We also won three awards at the closing ceremony! Those awards were Distinguished Club President award won by Iris Zhou (also past Lieutenant Governor of Division 11), and the platinum level for single service project award. Our third award was won by the Immediate-Past Lieutenant Governor of our division, Cheryl Li! She won the Service to the District award for divisional initiative. Next year we plan to work even harder and hopefully be even more successful in our goals.
NOVEMBER | THE ESPRESSO
17
Key Club International Pacific Northwest District PO Box 25006 Federal Way, WA 98006
Governor Varun Awasthi varun.awas@gmail.com Secretary Emerson Kim emersonkim1221@gmail.com Treasurer Neha Dalal pnwneha@gmail.com Bulletin Editor MaryAlice Peng maryalice.peng@gmail.com Convention Chair Felicia Nguyen feliciakn@yahoo.com Program Director Samuel Kim samkeem@gmail.com Communications Chair Marcus Frates marcusfrates@gmail.com International President Annie Lewandowski keyclubannie@gmail.com PNW International Trustee Cole Hickman kcitrusteecole@gmail.com District Administrator John Jay jmjay@bainbridge.net Assistant District Administrator Suzanne Endroedy suzbeth1@comcast.net
Recipient instructions: Thank you for supporting The PNW District of Key Club International. Please pass this on to the Key Club advisor and ensure that your club members have an opportunity to read this issue of the esPRESSo. Thank you, MaryAlice Peng District Bulletin Editor
District project kccp Kiwanis Children’s Cancer Program By Varun Awasthi, District Governor The Kiwanis Children’s Cancer Program (KCCP) was founded in 2010 by PNW Kiwanis District Governor Frank Morehouse. While working as a Medical Technologist at a hospital in 1964, Frank had the opportunity to meet Penny, a ten year old girl with brain cancer. Penny eventually died of this condition. The Kiwanis Children’s Cancer Program is dedicated to the memory of Penny, and to help change the future and outcome of Children suffering from cancer. This project is established in support of cancer fellowships at three Pacific Northwest Hospitals, including BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, BC, Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon and Seattle Children’s Hospital, in Seattle, Washington. Fellows work in both the lab and the clinic in order to find both effective treatments and the cure for children’s cancer. The reason why Kiwanis has chosen to focus on children’s cancer is that research for children’s cancer can be used for both adult and pediatric cases, whereas research for adult cancer can only be used on adult patients.
PNW Kiwanis will be involved with this project until a cure for cancer is found. This is not just a project of Kiwanis, but rather a K-Family project with involvement on behalf of PNW Circle K and PNW Key Club. As the impact of this project is so large and ongoing, there is no set monetary goal. PNW Key Club will likely be involved with this project for years to come. Our goal for this year is to simply raise as much as we have the capability to. Implement fundraising projects in your club for this project such as car washes, bake sales, candy sales, movie nights or anything you can think of! It doesn’t have to even be a huge fundraiser; any amount of money helps. Local businesses are often willing to donate as well. Clubs may also want to look into having other service projects such as making quilts and trauma dolls, or holding book drives and toy drives for cancer patients at these hospitals. For more information, please visit www.pnwkiwanis.org and click on the KCCP link on the homepage.